


cuddling: a novel experience

by kzumeknma (born_to_fly)



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Akaashi Keiji & Kozume Kenma Friendship, Akaashi Keiji is a Little Shit, Akaashi Keiji/Bokuto Koutarou-centric, Alternate Universe - College/University, But also, Comfort No Hurt, Cuddling & Snuggling, Fluff, Gay Panic, Kozume Kenma is a Little Shit, M/M, OR IS IT, Platonic Cuddling, Sleepy Cuddles, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, and we all know, but i love kenma hence the tags oof
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-03
Updated: 2020-07-03
Packaged: 2021-03-05 06:21:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,451
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25049833
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/born_to_fly/pseuds/kzumeknma
Summary: Akaashi covets his private conversations with Bokuto as a dragon hoards its treasure. They were the best, unearthing such rarities as the small, gentle smile that Bokuto saves only for Akaashi, or the quiet, reassuring sound of Bokuto’s calmest voice. They are conversations steeped in adoration and contentment, and they’re the closest thing to what Akaashi imagines love to be. However, today is different, because today, Akaashi is a man on a mission.tldr; Akaashi wants hug! Akaashi wants cuddle! and by golly he gets it
Relationships: Akaashi Keiji & Bokuto Koutarou, Akaashi Keiji/Bokuto Koutarou
Comments: 16
Kudos: 206





	cuddling: a novel experience

**Author's Note:**

> can u tell that quarantine's got me touch-starved and wanting cuddles bc akaashi sure can

“Hey, hey, hey!” Bokuto lets his greeting reverberate through his lungs and thunder through the room, before noticing that Akaashi’s dorm room was very small and very inhabited by possibly-sleeping roommates, as to be expected of university housing. Akaashi winces at the small, surprised-sounding thump from the room next door. It sounds as if someone has fallen off of a notably tall bed. 

Kenma was going to be hell to deal with later, especially since Akaashi had not exactly provided advance warning that he would have a guest over, and there was a very high chance that Bokuto’s interruption had interrupted what Kenma called his “crucial gaming flow.” Honestly, for someone who was so quiet most of the time, Kenma was extremely good at being a nuisance and provocateur. Maybe that’s why they were such good roommates. 

With plans for damage control fluttering through his mind, Akaashi shoots his flattest, most deadpan stare at Bokuto, and, seeing the flush creeping its way up Bokuto’s neck, Akaashi deems his best friend suitably chastised. Akaashi jerks his head towards his room, and Bokuto obeys the unspoken command, bounding into the familiar space. Akaashi follows, nudging the door shut behind them. 

“So… how do we do this?” Bokuto grins, quick and stilted, before flushing ever so slightly. Akaashi can feel the tense lines of his own body as they position themselves awkwardly by the bed, but he forces himself to calm down. 

_ Is this what gay panic feels like?  _ Akaashi dismisses the thought almost immediately. Gay panic requires that the subject be panicked, and Akaashi is not panicked. Panic would imply that Akaashi is unaware of the magnitude of his own feelings, and statistically, Akaashi has a pretty good handle on his emotions.  _ I’m not panicking _ , Akaashi thinks, panicking. 

“Here, Bokuto-san,” Akaashi climbs onto the bed, 100% calm and not freaking out at all, arranging his legs in an artful heap, and pats the space next to him. “We can start like this.”

Huffing out a breath of relief, Bokuto follows suit, clambering up onto the bed with significantly less grace but plenty of enthusiasm. He perches awkwardly next to the younger boy, trying not to stare. Akaashi forces the tension from the lines of his body, leaving nothing but the picture of relaxation, but Bokuto’s sharp eyes flit over him, concerned.

“Hey, hey, Akaashi, you know we don’t have to do this if you don’t want to,” Bokuto says, softer and more serious than Akaashi thought him capable of. Warm hands clasp colder ones, and the sudden presence of Bokuto’s hands on his drags Akaashi’s awareness down to his own fidgeting fingers. He hadn’t even noticed them twisting together. Traitors, all ten of them.

Bokuto catches Akaashi’s gaze, and something about even the smallest bit of eye contact unlocks something warm and soft in Akaashi’s chest. “We can just sit down in the spinny chairs and talk like we normally do, if you want.” 

And honestly, it wouldn’t be a letdown. In fact, Akaashi would probably enjoy it just as much- he covets his conversations with Bokuto as a dragon hoards its treasure. They were always the best, especially the ones that dragged out long and languid, unearthing such rarities as the small, gentle smile that Bokuto saves only for Akaashi, or the quiet, reassuring sound of Bokuto’s calmest voice, or the way that gold eyes melt into honey when Bokuto is feeling particularly affectionate. They are conversations steeped in adoration and contentment, and they’re the closest thing to what Akaashi imagines love to be. However, today is different, because today, Akaashi is a man on a mission. 

“No, Bokuto-san, an influx of oxytocin will be beneficial for both of us. Thus, cuddles.” Graceful as ever, Akaashi shifts, rearranging his body so he is lying down, sinking into the mattress. After a split second of hesitation, Bokuto follows suit, lying down and facing Akaashi. It’s a little bit too much and not enough all at the same time, and awkwardness winds around them, growing fast and thick and settling, heavy, in the space where they deliberately do not touch. The two boys’ eyes avoid each other like repelling magnets, until-

Bokuto makes the first move, drawing Akaashi close to his chest, and it’s like a dam breaks. Akaashi nuzzles close into Bokuto’s neck, letting out a soft, satisfied hum, and their legs tangle together almost naturally. Akaashi can’t help but find the end result to be quite favorable, and he shivers slightly at Bokuto’s fingers tracing little patterns into his back. There is formidable power in his ace’s arms, a barely-there buzz of overwhelming strength that comes with years of smashing volleyballs into the floor, yet Akaashi has never felt quite so safe in his life. There is power in those arms, yes, but there is also immense care.

They take a moment to learn each other’s breaths in the rise and fall of their chests. It’s quiet, as if the noise of the city has recognized them and allowed them this moment, this little pocket of intimacy nestled amongst the chaos of everyday life.

“This is nice, Bokuto-san.” Surprisingly, it’s Akaashi who breaks the silence first, but he’s feeling warm and indulgent and he lets a small smile curl his lips, sure that Bokuto can feel the smile ghosting against his neck. 

“It really is, isn’t it?” Bokuto lets out a chuckle, never the one to let silence linger, and the vibrations brush back against Akaashi’s lips, the soft reciprocation of a smile freely given. 

“Oh, did I tell you about what my professor did in lecture today?” Bokuto begins talking quietly, filling the space with stories and flyaway thoughts, and Akaashi lets his eyes close as he listens, the sound of Bokuto’s voice nudging him to relax. The vibration of his dearest friend’s voice travels across Akaashi’s skin, settling heavy and familiar against him like his favorite blanket, and he can’t stop himself from melting into Bokuto’s comforting embrace. Akaashi’s fingers draw long, lazy lines up and down Bokuto’s arms as Bokuto continues to chatter away, and Akaashi periodically lets out drowsy, affirmative hums to let Bokuto know he’s still listening. 

_ It’s warm here _ , Akaashi adds his very astute observation to his second mental list for Bokuto. This list is private, selfish. It’s the one that Akaashi tucks next in the little space in his chest, closest to his heart, to be pulled out and perused when he wants to remind himself of this beautiful, ridiculous man that he loves. 

Bokuto-san’s strengths. Number eighty-three: can be a mini-heater. Perhaps Akaashi will find a use for it outside of his own musings, somewhere on the courts or in the classrooms. But for now, he lets his eyes drift closed and nuzzles closer into Bokuto, lips brushing gently over his ace’s neck once again, relishing in the vibrations of Bokuto’s voice against his nose. Akaashi’s hands find one of Bokuto’s, and Akaashi amuses himself by tracing over the pads of Bokuto’s calloused fingertips and tangling their fingers together.

Akaashi could be happy here for the rest of his life, he thinks, warm and comfortable and so genuinely  _ happy _ , tucked in against his favorite person. He shivers, just a little, as Bokuto’s free hand drifts upward, fingers carding through his hair and dragging against his scalp before they travel downwards to caress his neck, his face. Calloused fingers rest against that soft point at the junction of Akaashi’s throat and jaw, his most vulnerable spot. His pulse flutters under the attention, and gentle heat slides through his veins like molasses, slow and lovely and sweet. It is trust, intimacy, three unspoken words, the gravity of a planet around the brightest star in the known universe.

The panic and awkwardness of before is long gone, banished to a place outside of their little bubble of shared breaths and gentle touches, and the feeling of safety, of being truly at home, is so overwhelming that Akaashi has to force down a whimper. 

“‘Kaashi?” Bokuto whispers. A pause. “Keiji?” And it’s only then that Akaashi realizes that he’s been silent for a while, and it’s fair to assume that Bokuto thinks he’s asleep. Truthfully, Akaashi almost is- it’s been a long day, after all, and his brain is hazy and slow with the promise of imminent sleep. 

There’s a brief stillness, a hesitation, and just before Akaashi drifts off for good, he swears that a pair of lips ghost across his forehead. Those three unspoken words seep into Akaashi’s skin, golden and beautiful, and he luxuriates in Bokuto’s adoration, in the bone-deep knowledge that he loves and is loved in return.

Cuddling was such a good idea. 

**Author's Note:**

> take a shot every time u read a run-on sentence w more than two adjectives describing the physical sensation of touch lmao  
> (just kidding pls don't do that unless ur taking shots of water in which case have fun stay hydrated!)
> 
> as always, comments, kudos, and critiques are always appreciated! i'm on tumblr at @kzumeknma (haven't posted anything yet but i am Always lurking lmao- feel free to come yell w me about ur hq favs


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